The McCarthy Secret
by JasperWhitlock21
Summary: Aria had been best friends with Emmett McCarthy all her life. After a tragic accident involving them both, Aria starts over in Forks Washington but what if all that she knew to be true turned out to be a lie?
1. The Death of Emmett

_Chapter 1- The Death of Emmett_

"Aria, there's your guy." My best friend Bree whispered into my ear. I looked in the direction she was point and a smile crossed my face. Our eyes met and I turned bright pink before lowering my head. "Are you seriously still being shy?" she asked and I shook my head slowly. "Bree, he has a girlfriend already." I said. My eyes found the beautiful dark brown ones of Emmett McCarthy for the second time and again a blush graced my cheeks. "Aria, he broke up with her like 2 weeks ago! What is wrong with you? You guys have been friends since kindergarten!" she hissed furiously. "Bree, we haven't said more than two words to each other since the 6Th grade. It's been 4 years." I said. "And yet you pretend not to care knowing that you do. You have been in love with him since I could remember." She said.

"In love with who?" a deep voice asked. I jumped and looked up startled before blushing at Emmett standing there. "No one. Absolutely nobody at all." I recovered quickly. "Good because that means you'll be my date to the football formal right?" he asked. "What?" I shuddered confused. "Of course she will. She has the perfect dress too. She was waiting for you to ask." Bree spoke up. "Awesome! I'll pick you up from your place at six." He said before winking at me and walking away. I looked at Bree horrified as the bell rang to end lunch. We both stood and head for the library for our free period. "Bree, I don't have a dress or anything to go with him. Why did you tell him that?" I asked. "You can borrow one of mine. I'll just go home and pick up some things and then meet up at yours so I can help you get ready." She said.

I frowned internally but remained quiet all the way until cheer practice. I was hit with one of the practice balls and it knocked me off my pyramid. I landed on my back hard but recovered quickly. "Aria!" my name was screamed by both high pitched and deep voices. "Aria, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Emmett asked as he stood me up. "I'm fine honestly. It wasn't that much of a fall." I said. I winced a little as he poked my back. "That was a ten foot drop to hard dirt on your back! I call that a pretty big fall!" he challenged. "Emmett, I'm okay honestly. It doesn't even hurt anymore." I said as I pulled away gently. He frowned and I didn't miss the glare from his ex-girlfriend Taylor. He nodded and everyone went back to practice.

At the end of the day, I grabbed my gym bag and headed for my car. "Hey!" someone called as I shut my trunk and went toward my door. Bree and I both turned to find Taylor coming towards us. "What's up Taylor?" Bree asked. "Are you and Emmett like a thing now?" she asked. I shook my head and frowned. Taylor was the reason that Emmett and I had officially stopped hanging around each other at the beginning of the year. "No, he just decided we should be friends again." I said. I turned and got into my car before she responded. I drove home contemplating just how badly this could go if Taylor was jealous.

As Bree promised, she arrived at my house at 3 and started on the 2 hours of beauty prep. This included waxing, plucking, and the most painful threading of my life. Finally I was about to showered and adorn the navy blue strapless thigh length cocktail dress and get my makeup done before the knock came at my door. Emmett looked beautiful in his suit as he complemented my dress and thanked Bree for helping me. I smiled at him as I climbed into the passenger seat of his dodge Challenger. We loved the time spent together that night and four days later he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. We dated until the beginning of our senior year. That week he died and I would be blamed.

"Emmett, honestly I love it but don't you think it's a little much?" I asked as he speeds down the high way back to our little town of Grifton in Tennessee. He had given me a beautiful silver chain with a diamond emblazed "E" on it for my birthday. We enjoyed dinner and a movie before heading on our way home. He looked over at me and smiled. "Hey, keep your eyes on the road." I said quickly. He turned back to the road and chuckled a soft "Yes ma'am". I giggled and took his hand while playing with the necklace in the other. "Aria, I think it's perfect just like you. I love you." He said. I turned to look at him as I repeated his last words back to him. He leaned over and kissed me. "Happy Birth-"he was cut off by sudden blackness.

Neither of us had seen the headlights of the drunk driver as he swerved into our lane and hit us straight on. I awoke as they were attempting to get me free only I wasn't where I had been. I was covered in blood and sitting behind the wheel. "Emmett? Emmett?" I asked softly. I couldn't turn my head because a fire fighter had his arms through the broken window and was holding me still. "Emmett? Where is he? Did you get him out? Is he okay?" I begged. "Ma'am, we are trying to get you out. Please stay still for just a few more minutes." He stated. "No! You don't understand. My boyfriend was driving and it all went black. Where is he? Where is Emmett? Did you save him?" I asked. "Ma'am you are in the driver's seat. There is no one else here but you. We've already made sure that you are the only one." He said.

My head spun and I blacked out. When I awoke again I had been in surgery 3 times to fix broken bones and a punctured lung and liver. By the time I was released, they had already had a service and buried an empty coffin for Emmett. My parents were the ones who told me that everyone thought I was driving and that I had killed Emmett. I was absolutely devastated and fell into depression. My parents told me a few weeks later that I would be going to like with my uncle in Forks, Washington. I didn't even argue. I had no friends here anymore; even Bree began to believe what people were saying. I simply packed my bags and boarded the plane. The only reminder of Emmett and everything I was running from rested around my neck. The "E" symbolizing his name rested between my breasts as I shut my eyes and fought back tears. "I'm so sorry, Emmett. You didn't deserve this." I whispered before falling asleep.


	2. Forks and Settling In

My uncle met me at the airport in Seattle that afternoon. "Hey Eden, I'm glad you're finally here." He said as he hugged me. He had nicknamed me that when I was younger. He said that it was because I was always so at peace that you rarely saw me upset. That peace had been destroyed. The love of my life ripped from my arms and all of my friends turned on me. "Hey Uncle Jay. How are you?" I said once he let go. "Better now that I have my favorite niece back." He said. I frowned and looked down. "Do we really have to still pretend about that?" I asked. My uncle was actually my father. My mother had dated him and gotten pregnant and after they split started dating is brother. She had pretended that he was my uncle until about two years ago. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

The pain of their words ripping and tearing at my heart. The pain was so intense that I ran from the house and ended up sitting in the park in pouring rain. My parents called around and Emmett came looking for me after hearing I was gone for so long. When he found me, he hugged me close in the backseat of his car with the heater on high. I cried my heart out and he just held on until the tears stopped. I stayed at his place for three days until my mother got fed up and brought me home. To say our relationship was never the same would have been and understatement.

"I am okay with whatever you want." He said. The Tennessee drawl was only slightly present as he spoke. "I kind of just really need my dad right now." I said softly as tears welled in my eyes. He hugged me to his chest and shushed me. I wiped at my eyes and stepped back. "Can we go home?" I asked. He nodded and helped me with my bags. I sat back quietly until he asked me how I was doing. I burst into tears and spilled all the things I had been holding in. "No one would believe me daddy. I wasn't driving the car. Emmett was and he just disappeared along with the other driver. I was the only one there in a car accident that I didn't cause and no one would believe me." I said between sobs.

"I believe you sweetheart. It's okay now and you're safe." He said. He allowed me to cry until we got home. "Aria Keahi Carson, you listen to me and listen well. I do not blame you for what happened. It was not your fault. You loved that boy and you mourn him but you don't let it control you ever. You are smart and beautiful. He would want you to be happy and you need to do that in respect of his memory. You came here to start over so start over." He said. I nodded and wiped my face. "Thank you." I said softly. He nodded and then let me into the house and showed me my room. I set out to buy paint and things to paint my room the way I wanted. It took three days to get it the black with beautifully intricate hand drawn flowers and skylines. My dad surprised me with a car so that I wouldn't have to rely on him to get around. I thanked him and headed off to bed.

Tomorrow was Monday and I would start at my new high school. It wasn't so bad seeing as it was still the beginning of the year. My only issue would be with meeting new people. No matter how much pain they had caused me, my old friends meant the world to me and now they had to be replaced and that was the last thing I wanted. My phone lit up with a new text message and I unlocked it to read it.

_"__Aria, I know it's too late now that you're gone but I'm sorry. I know I should have never believed what people were saying about you. Hell, I was your best friend and I should have stuck by you. I remember seeing how in love you and Emmett were and I know now that you would never do anything to hurt him. I should have just believed you and now it's too late. Maybe somehow you can find a way to forgive me and we can be friends again."-Bree_

I sighed hard as my heart ripped a little bit more and locked my phone back. I wanted to text her back but I knew if I did then I would never truly forgive her and we would never be able to be friends without that. I rolled over to face away from the window and fell into a dreamless sleep. I knew when I woke up; I would have to pretend to be happy and got to school.


	3. New Days and Ghost Faces

I woke up earlier than my alarm that was set for 6:30. I get out an outfit for the day, a pair of dark wash true religion jeans, and a pair of marc Jacobs tennis shoes with slight heels, a matching Anna Grey shirt and matching jewelry. I headed off to take a quick shower. I wasn't really dirty since I showered the night before but I went anyway. I dressed and did my make up before heading down to have a bagel and a glass of orange juice.

I was still sitting at the table when the doorbell rang. I went to open and was standing face to face with a beautiful blonde man who couldn't have been older than 30. "Hi, is Jasen here?" he asked. "Yes. Can I tell him whose asking?" I asked. "Oh hey Carlisle! I see you met my daughter Eden! Come in, I'm just getting ready." My dad said as he came from the back hallway. I stepped aside and let the man in. "It's nice to meet you Eden. I'm Carlisle Cullen. I work with your dad at the hospital." He said. "My name is actually Aria and it's nice to meet you too." I said. I went back to the kitchen to get my bag and kissed my dad goodbye before heading to school.

The parking lot was fairly empty when I arrived and I liked that. I went to the office to find my schedule and found all of my classes and my locker before heading to my first period class. I had made a nice group of friends and I followed them to lunch. Jessie, Karma and Nettie were all in history with me and Kris and Kyle had music with me. I looked up when the cafeteria door opened to a group of beautiful people. "Who are they?" I asked. "Those are the Cullens. They were all adopted by MR. and Mrs. Cullen. They moved here two years ago. There the twins Rosalie and Jasper Hale, then Edward and Alice Cullen and their younger sister Carlie. Then Jack and his younger brother Aiden and then the newest addition are Emmett. He just moved in and started this year." Karma explained.

"Yeah but they're all like together. There is Alice and Jack, Carlie and Aiden, Edward and Bella, and now Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper is the only single one but he doesn't date any of the people in this town. Bella just moved here and we told her that about Edward but apparently he was fascinated with her." Jessie explained. I frowned as she said it. It was quite obvious that she had been rejected by them at some point. I looked at each one and my heart stopped when I got to Emmett. Before I knew what I was doing my feet were carrying me towards their table. "Aria, what are you doing? Where are you going?" I heard Nettie call after me but I kept going.

I took a chair and planted myself right between Emmett and Jasper. "Well?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. "Who are you?" Rosalie asked. "None of your business." I hissed and turned back to Emmett. "Are you going to explain yourself?" I asked him. "Keahi, please don't do this here?" he asked. "Then where Emmett? I deserve an explanation. Everyone back home thinks you're dead. Your parents buried an empty coffin and everyone blamed me for it." I spit. "Keahi please I will explain. I tell you everything just not here." He said. "Then let's go." I said. I grabbed his arm and tugged. He didn't move and inch but I used to be able to move him that way. "We can go back to my place after school. My dad will be working. You better show up Emmett or I will call your parents and tell them that you're alive and where you are." I said as I turned. "I'm so sorry Aria." He whispered as I walked away. I could hear the pain in his voice and stopped. I turned as I heard a grunt of pain and saw jasper doubled over and tears started streaming down my face. I went back over to him and leaned down into his face. "You aren't sorry. You wouldn't have done this if you felt on ounce of remorse for any of us." I spit between my tears. I then turned and exited the cafeteria. I got into my car and drove home


	4. Past Hurts and Secrets Revealed

I spent the rest of the afternoon crying and was surprised by the knock at my door. I opened it to find Jasper, Edward, and Bella on my doorstep. "You look awful." Edward said and Bella smacked him softly. "It's fine. I know it's true." I said. "We would like to talk to you at our place if you don't mind." He said. I nodded and grabbed my things before walking out with them. The ride was totally silent until we got to their house. It was beautiful and warm on the inside. Everyone was waiting when we entered the living room. "Hello Aria." Carlisle said softly. "Hello." I answered back weakly. My body was tired and I wanted to sleep but I needed this.

I sat as far away from Emmett as possible but that put me between Bella and Carlisle. "I understand that we have stirred up something quite painful in you but if you could please open yourself to explanations, I'm sure it will help." Carlisle said gently. I felt the searing pain of my soul falling apart and wrapped my arms around myself. "I don't want you to explain. I want Emmett to explain." I said. "Keahi, I can't." Emmett said. Rosalie wore a visible grimace on her face as she glared at me and tried to comfort Emmett. It pissed me off beyond reason and I shuddered against the violence I felt.

"You no longer get to call me that! You sit there with her comforting you as if you hurt! You can't even begin to know the pain you caused! I HATE you for what you have done!" I shouted. My anger was so intense that I couldn't reign it in. "You better start explaining Emmett or I swear I'm going to kill you for real this time!" I spit. "Aria please relax?" Carlisle spoke. I stood off to the side gasping and shaking at the pain and anger coursing through me. "Jasper can you calm her?" he asked when I didn't respond. Jasper came over and laid a gentle hand on my back. "You are okay. We will explain." He said softly into my ear at calm washed over me.

I nodded and looked to Carlisle as tears welled in my eyes. "Keahi please don't cry?" Emmett begged. "How can I not Em?" I asked through my tears and he looked down. "I loved you beyond reason Emmett. I loved you beyond my life itself but its apparent now that you didn't feel the same." I cried. Jasper kept a hand on my back and gently steered me towards a seat. "That's not true. I loved you Aria. You know that." He said. "You couldn't have Emmett. You would have let me suffer or be hated like I was if you did." I said. "Hated?" Carlisle asked. I nodded as more tears fell and I wiped at them viciously. "Can you explain please?" he asked.

"It was the night of my birthday. Emmett took me into Nashville to see a movie and have dinner. It was perfect. He even gave me a present." I said as I cried a little harder. "I told him that the present was too much but he didn't agree. He said that it was perfect and that he loved me. I said it back and he leaned over to kiss me. He was about to say happy birthday to me when it all just stopped. When I woke up I was trapped inside the car. I kept asking where Emmett was but nobody knew. The paramedic said I was the only survivor and then I blacked out. It took 3 surgeries to fix my broken bones and a couple organs. By the time I was released, his parents had already had the service for him. I didn't even get to say goodbye." I cried.

"Keahi-" Emmett started but I cut him off. "But that wasn't the worst part. The police came to my house and asked if I had been driving under the influence. I am barely 18, I can't even drink yet. I asked what they were talking about and that's when they told me. We had been hit head on by a drunk driver and when rescue showed up I was the only one still there. Behind the driver's wheel like I had been driving. I told them that I was with my boyfriend and he had been driving but they didn't believe me. Emmett's parents thought that I was blaming him for getting himself killed and almost killing me. They told the whole town and people believed it. Even my best friend started to believe it. I ended up the most hated person in that town and had to move because of it." I said.

Everyone was silent for a minute as I cried. "So you tell me Emmett, how did you get out of the car and why did you make it seem like I was driving. Why did you pretend to be dead when you aren't? You let me live with the fact that you died on my birthday for almost 3 months. It tore my soul apart and then to top it off, everyone in town hated me for it." I sobbed. "Aria I am so sorry for the pain I caused you. It wasn't fair but I don't remember what happened that night any better than you do. I can't explain what happened to me but Carlisle and Rosalie can." He said. "What does she have to do with this?" I asked. Anger burned in the pit of my stomach. "I was the one who pulled him from the car and saved him. I was the one who put you in the driver's seat." She said.

Before I knew what happened I was screaming and I couldn't stop. I ran at her but was suddenly thrown backwards off my feet. I hit a wall hard and felt it as my head split open. Dizziness and nausea immediately set in and I groaned. I heard the collective gasp of "Emmett" before I passed out.


	5. Rude Awakenings

Chapter 5-Rude Awakenings

I felt like my head was splitting open and a really disgusting tugging at me scalp. "Carlisle, she is awake?" I heard someone say. "Aria, please don't move sweetheart. I'm stitching your head and if you move you might pull them loose." Carlisle whispered in my ear. "My head hurts. What happened?" I groaned. "Emmett threw you into a wall. You busted your head open." Jasper said. My eyes had focused and found him standing over me.

I couldn't help the tears that welled in my eyes. My Emmett would have never hurt me. I knew then that I had to come to terms that my Emmett died in that car crash and the new Emmett did not care. Tears spilled down my cheeks as my heart broke for what felt like the thousandth time. Carlisle gently whispered he was done and stood to clean up the supplies. "Jasper, take aria home please. She needs rest. Today has been enough." He said as he left the room.

"Aria, are you okay?" he asked. I stood as I wiped my face and nodded. "You can take me home now." I said. He nodded and guided my back through the living room to the front door. We descended the stairs and I heard a vicious growl. "Get your hands off of her." Emmett growled as he appeared from nowhere. Jasper took his hand away and stepped back slowly. Emmett looked absolutely feral and I stepped back into Jasper. "Emmett you are scaring her." Jasper said. My heart was racing and I could feel the fear settle in my chest. "What are you?" I asked. I could hear the fear in my voice and I whimpered as he came closer. I wanted to hide inside of jasper but I settle for as close to him as I could get.

"Emmett back off!" Jasper growled. Emmett stopped and looked at me. His face seemed to soften and he sighed hard. "Keahi, I'm sorry." He tried but I shook my head. "What are you Emmett?" I asked again. The fear was going away but something told me it still wasn't safe. He traded looks with Jasper and sighed. "I'm a vampire." He said. My heart stopped and I gasped for air as I tried to believe what he was saying. I couldn't make my brain work any harder and passed out.


End file.
